Chapter Two: Friends and Enemy, Part One

The next morning, on the edge of FlameClan territory, a small group of cats were wandering through. Had any of the FlameClan warriors been there to see them, they would have been furious, for these were warriors of StoneClan. They were led by a tall sienna brown tom with piercing emerald eyes.

Campionstripe, StoneClan's deputy, scented the air for any trace of FlameClan. Nothing.

"We must have searched their entire territory by now," he murmured, "Where are they hiding?"

The StoneClan warrior was distracted by an angry shout from one of his Clanmates, a black tom named Weaselheart. The other warrior was literally standing on the muzzle of a young warrior named Sparrowstrike.

"You don't rest, until we say so!" Weaselheart shouted.

"Stop it, Weaselheart," Campionstripe growled, "He's exhausted. We all are."

"Well, then, let's find FlameClan's camp, so we can all go home," Weaselheart snapped.

"That's what we're trying to do," Campionstripe replied.

"Then we'd best find them soon, Campionstripe, else Bloodstar will have your pelt separated from the rest of you!"

The coal-colored warrior sauntered off, leaving Campionstripe to glare after him.

"Of course, it would be my pelt. No matter that you're the one slowing things up, Weaselheart."

By midday, the StoneClan patrol had made little progress in their exploration, mostly due to the fact that they were heading in the wrong direction from FlameClan's camp. In fact, they were heading straight for a Twoleg establishment, although they did not know it. That was when the trouble started.

Mossfall had been walking half asleep behind the others, and as his eyes were barely open, the young warrior did not see the net spread in the grass, until he felt a pull on his leg.

"Ow!" the grey tom yelped, "Get off!"

The rest of the patrol turned and stared at the young tom, with the exception of Weaselheart, who took the opportunity to scream at him.

"Again? Must you always get caught in things? You, Mossfall, are the clumsiest..."

As Weaselheart spoke, a shadow fell over the group. The coal-colored tom looked up, and was astonished and horrified to see a huge eagle flying overhead. Eagles seldom ventured into StoneClan territory, but when they did, they had been known to take a full-grown warrior, although this happened very rarely indeed.

In his typical cowardly fashion, Weaselheart turned and ran away, hoping the eagle would settle for the stationary target known as Mossfall. As he raced past Campionstripe, the sienna-furred warrior called out in confusion.

"Weaselheart? Where are you going?"

The answer came a moment later, when Campionstripe felt the unexpected shock of being lifted into the air. The brown warrior had no need to check and see what had attacked him. He already knew. He had seen young cats taken by an eagle before, and he was determined not to be one of them. Campionstripe clawed at the eagle with his back legs, not expecting it to work, but willing to try. Hence, he was surprised when, with an angry screech, the eagle let go. Then he was falling, and then...there was only darkness.

The StoneClan warriors were stunned. Campionstripe...dead? Just like that? Finally, Weaselheart broke the silence.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to go home now, and tell Bloodstar that his foolish deputy is dead."

"Foolish deputy?" Mossfall snarled. The grey tom had freed himself of the net, with the help of Sparrowstrike, and now he faced Weaselheart angrily.

"I didn't see you doing anything to help him. You probably wanted him to die so you could take his place. Well, I promise you this, Weaselheart! I will never let you be the deputy of StoneClan, much less the leader, for Campionstripe's sake!"

After the StoneClan patrol had left, another group of cats emerged from their hiding-place in the undergrowth. They were led by a tall red-fawn colored tom, and a large, sturdy grey warrior. Following close behind were a small brown tom, who looked a lot like the red warrior, who was in fact his older brother, and a slim cream-furred she-cat. After a few seconds, a brown and white apprentice came racing after them, her green eyes bright with excitement. These were Hazelstar, leader of FlameClan, his deputy, Bigstorm, his brother and medicine cat, Fivefur, a beautiful warrior named Rosebrier, and Bigstorm's apprentice, Woodpaw.

The patrol, led by the compassionate Hazelstar, immediately raced over to where Campionstripe had fallen. The StoneClan deputy had been grievously injured, having had a painful encounter with a tree on the way down.

Hazelstar bent over the fallen warrior.

"Campionstripe?"

He turned to the others.

"He's still alive."

"So?" said Bigstorm, "He's the enemy."

"Right now, he's an injured warrior," Hazelstar said, "We can't leave him here."

"Well, we can't take him back to camp," Bigstorm argued, "Blackblaze will flay him, if I don't do it first."

Rosebrier sighed, her pale green eyes distant as she stared at Campionstripe's limp form.

"He saved my life in StoneClan," she whispered, "It wouldn't be right to leave him."

"We helped Kehaar, and he became our friend," Fivefur said, recalling the seagull whom a young apprentice named Littlepaw had befriended on their journey from ThunderClan, "Maybe it will be the same way with Campionstripe."

Bigstorm snorted derisively.

"He's the StoneClan deputy. You won't turn him."

"We can try," Hazelstar said. He looked toward the strange Twoleg den. It appeared to have living plants inside.

"What about in there?" he asked, "I'll stay with him until he's well enough to travel."

"What do you mean 'You'll stay with him'?" Bigstorm asked, "What about us?"

"You take the others back. As soon as Campionstripe is well, I'll join you at camp."

Bigstorm looked extremely reluctant to leave his leader alone, but he knew by now that arguing with Hazelstar was pointless.

"All right, chum, but be careful. And remember: He's the enemy."

Hiya, peeps! OK, so the cat on the cover is...Mousetail! ;) Not saying who won...but you know who you are. :D That said, see ya later, peoples!